Superglue. A drop of cyanoacrylic glue, also known as superglue, on the tip of a dispenser. Until this century, most glues were made from the boiled hides and bones of animals or else they were resins from plants. Synthetic glues such as superglue are acrylic resins made from petroleum chemicals. When the glue is exposed to moisture, small molecules join together in a chemical process known as polymerisation. When a glue is applied to a surface, the moisture in the air causes rapid polymerisation and the glue instantly forms a bond.